# backspin

/ˈbæk.spɪn/ (US) · /ˈbæk.spɪn/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/backspin
Updated: 2026-10-08

## Definition

a backward spin put on a ball in sports like golf or tennis, which makes it fly higher and stop quickly or roll backward when it lands.

For teachers: a rapid backward rotation imparted to a ball or projectile around its horizontal axis; in golf and racket sports, it generates aerodynamic lift via the Magnus effect and causes the ball to check, decelerate abruptly, or reverse direction upon hitting the ground.

## Examples

- The wedge shot had enough backspin to stop immediately on the green.
- Professional golfers clean the grooves on their irons between shots to maximize friction and generate predictable backspin.
- By striking down steeply with a high-lofted wedge, she generated enough backspin to make the ball check on the green and spin several feet back toward the pin.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The ball had a lot of backward spin." but "The ball had a lot of backspin." — In sports and physics, use the fixed compound noun "backspin" rather than "backward spin". English speakers standardly say a shot "has backspin" or that a player "puts backspin on the ball".

## Usage notes

- Commonly paired with verbs like "put", "impart", or "generate" (e.g., "put backspin on the ball"). In golf commentary, when backspin halts the ball sharply on the green, golfers describe the ball as "checking" or "biting".

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.